What Could Have Been
by UltimateSorceress
Summary: Sora's dead and Riku's world is turning upside down. Just remember, things are never what they seem in a world that never was...
1. The Reason

_**Chapter One**_---_**The Reason **_

The world was still, as if someone had put it in slow motion. The doctor walked towards Riku, his eyes and body unreadable. In the end, that's what frightened Riku most. The uncertainty of the outcome. In all his 19 years he had never been afraid of anything. Until now.

"Mr. Loire?" Riku nodded. His entire body felt so heavy and yet at the same time he felt as though he wasn't in it.

"I'm sorry...he didn't make it." Riku's aquas closed and the downfall of tears caught even the doctor offgaurd. Riku slammed his fist into the wall repeatedly, never once feeling the pain. If he did, it was much less in comparrison to the pain in his heart. His brother... his baby brother was dead and he couldn't change it.

"No...no, no, no, no, no, no!!!!!" He screamed and strong arms wrapped around him to contain the fury that he was letting loose. Squall was holding him tightly, his own blue eyes teary. Kairi's wails could be heard as though from a distance in Riku's ears.

The thought of Kairi only brought on more tears. Sora and kair had recently gotten married. They'd been in love since they were 10 and they'd finally gotten their happy ending. Riku knew that Kairi's pain would be like a thousand knives twisting in her chest. She was going to have Sora's child. And that baby's father was dead now. The victim of someone's twisted mind and it's sick pleasure of the kill.

" Shall I make the arrangements?" Riku nodded, not really listening to the doctor. How could this have happened? Why Sora? Why Riku's only family?

**Why?**

It didn't matter. It was over.

--Three Months Later--

"Riku? You've got a vistitor. She wants to rent the apartment." Kairi told him. He was looking over police files and coroner's examinations-anything to help him solve this mystery of who-done-it.

"Ok, just a minute."Riku got up and stretched. He opened the door only to get a tap on the nose. The girl's eyes went wide and a small hand covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean--" Riku smiled a bit.

"It's alright. You're the one who wanted to rent the apartment?" She nodded, silver eyes sparkling. The smile on her face remind him of how Sora had looked when Kairi told him he was going to be a father.

Blissful.

"This way." Riku led her down the hall to a small apartment just across from the gym. He unlocked the door and let her look around. The window on the far end over looked a small pond and the hills beyond. The kitchen was small but sufficent for two. Two bed rooms, one bath and the living room. She looked around and turned to him smiling.

"I love it! I'll take it." Riku raised a brow.

"The rent's $750 a month." She shrugged.

"That's alright. I'm going to like it here. Oh! I forgot. I'm Ryaen." She stuck out her hand to shake his and he eyed her curiously. Ryaen's shake was surprisingly firm.

"Ryaen? I'm Riku." She laughed, a sweet bell-like sound.

"Well...that's what everyone calls me. It's short for O'Ryaen and I like it better then Aliriael." Riku nodded, her silver eyes catching him offguard again.

"Um...can I ask a question?" Riku nodded looking around, for some reason suddenly disoriented.

"Is your girlfriend pregnant?" Riku stared at her with wide eyes.

"She's not my girlfriend. And yes she is."

"Is she your wife then?" Riku shook his head. The room whirled around him.

"She was my brother's wife."

"What do you mean was? Are they divorced?" Riku shook his head again. So many questions. Why was the room spining so?

"No. He died three months ago. This was his apartment." She gave a small 'oh' and looked around. It was cheerful and Ryaen resovled to keep it that way.

A sudden wet sound and a solid thump made her turn back to find that Riku had not only passed out but he had vomited on the way down. Egh.

"Um...excuse me, miss!" Ryaen called into the other apartment. The red head smiled at her and let her in.

"Your...brother-in-law just passed out in my apartment." The woman sighed. Not again.

"Um...let's just keep him in there...I'll bring over some bleach and a mop." Ryaen nodded and went to prop the poor man out of his vomit.

It was an hour or so before Ryaen and Kairi got Riku all cleaned up and the tile too. Kairi told her where he kept his clothes and Ryaen ran to get them. Along the dresser she noticed pictures of Riku, his brother and sister-in-law. They looked so happy.

But the air in the room was depressed and kind of rank, like he hadn't taken a shower in a few weeks. Or done laundry. Or anything from the looks of it. Ryaen grabbed a shirt and told Kairi that she would clean up the apartment for him since he wasn't well. Kairi was most greatful.

"Well...at least the other apartments are clean. Why care how he keeps his own?" Ryaen looked around and decided to do the dishes first, finding the cupboards bare and the counter and sink full. It took a lot of hot water, soap and some presistence with the wire brush and a fork. Alright so a wire brush wasn't meant for dishes but it got the lasagna off right? Or was that chili?

The counters once washed, were bright and shiny. The fridge was emptied of rotting food and half empty beer bottles. The floor was swept and the windows washed. Ryaen looked at the contents of the table. _Young boy found stabbed later dies...Local millionaire dies in Heartsvale Hospital...Young wife mourns Husbands early death..._Ryaen read a few and then noticed that police reports were in the table along with rather gruesome pictures. She decided that it was best if she left the table alone for now.

Instead she moved on to the living room. It was almost disheartening to find that the living room was much worse then the kitchen and looked as if several natural disasters came through. All the paper plates and beer cans needed to go so into the trash bag they went.

"What in Heartless is that stench?" She plugged her noise and consequently found the dirty clothes pile came to her waist and was in the corner of the living room.Egh. Well then.

The magazines and books were stacked in a nice order beneath the coffe table and the blankets strewn about were folded and put in the closet. More beer cans and take-out boxes went into the garbage. Ryaen found it easier to just pile all the junk onto the couch and the smaller tables that were about and get the vacuuming out the way. All the trash bags were placed by the open door. At least fresh air was coming in. The pillows were placed on the couch correctly and those nasty clothes were put into the washer. Correctly color cordinated of course. She felt better.

"Oh my god! Ryaen you are my heroe! Look, leave this pen for a bit while I go get us some lunch. Do you mind watching Riku while I'm out? He's still zonked!" Ryaen laughed with her new friend and went down the hall. True enough, Riku still lay against the wall, his chin touching his chest.

Ryaen figured that he would be more comfortable if he could lay down on his own couch. Then she thought of all the cleaning she'd done and still had yet to do, and decided that she didn't want to clean puke off carpet. Tile was much easier.

"What have you been doing to yourself? Huh?" She aked. The silverhaired boy didn't answer.

"What am **I **going to do with you?"

* * *

a.n:Yay!!!!!the first chapter!!!!!!!!!REIVEW!!!!!!!! Muwarhar...I'm starting to like this story...I finally edited it!

i Ultimate!


	2. Nothing is Fine

**Chapter Two**-**Nothing is Fine**

Riku awoke to find himself in Sora's apartment. What happened? Where were Ryaen and Kairi? He stumbled as he attempted to stand and walked unsteadily towards his own apartment. Kairi and Ryaen sat on the living room floor with pints of ice cream, playing cards. Kairi noticed him first.

"Riku! Finally woke up eh? Hey look! Ryaen cleaned up... Isn't so much better?" Kairi's happy voice was lost on him. The files...his notes...the pictures...where were they?

"Where are my files?!" Riku's voice was frantic and almost scared. However Ryaen was not phased. She handed him a thick folder labled 'Riku'. He sighed in relief and looked around. The place _was_ amazingly clean. Even Sora would be put to shame.

"Um...thank you..." Ryaen smiled and stood up, taking his arm. Riku followed, wondering why someone he barely knew was helping him so much. _Not_ that he needed it, mind you.

"Come on, the hot water is back and I think you'd like a hot shower. The laundry is all done so you'll have a clean towel and clothes when you get out. If you want I can make something to eat...or Kairi and I can order take out." Silver orbs danced against ebon locks and porcelin skin and Riku felt strangely at peace. He still didn't need to be taken care of though. And he said as much.

"I don't need taking care of." The deep tenor pitch of his voice was firm and almost intimidating. Almost. Ryaen continued to push him towards the bathroom.

"I didn't say you did. But you _do _need a shower. Take out?" A brow was raised and Riku sighed in defeat.

" Take out." Her laughing eyes lingered in his mind long after she'd left.

* * *

The hot water felt good. It felt good to be clean. Riku took a _long _shower, letting the water run over his body.It occured to him that he'd lost a lot of weight and he resovled to start working out again. The rumbling of his stomach let Riku know he'd also skipped far to many meals.

The bathroom was foggy when he shut off the shower but he managed to find his razor on the shelf and give himself a much needed shave. He felt better. On his bed he found a clean set of clothes laid out for him. A black tank and black sweats. Perfect.

"Welcome back to the land of the living!" Riku smiled at Kairi and sat at the table with them. Where was the _food_?! Riku was absolutely ravenous.

"Food." He said simply and Ryaen laughed.

"On its way." Riku smiled a bit. It was nice to have the place clean and he was looking forward to eating. Kairi was happy that Riku was doing better. She worried about him. Over the course of three months, Riku hadn't let her do anything for him and exploded at her every time she told him he needed to take a break from Sora's case. The knock at the door startled Kairi from her thoughts and she went to answer it. No one was there. Strange.

" No one was there." Ryaen frowned and Riku had a vague thought of not liking to see the raven-haired woman unsmiling.

"CHI-FUNGS TAKE OUT!" A high pitched voice called through the door and Riku had the door opened in a flash.

"20.86" Riku paid the man and set the food out on the table. The girls watched him dig in like an animal. Finally content he looked up to find them looking at him with awe.

"I've never seen you so...hungry." Kairi told him slowly, rubbing her stomach. Riku shrugged, slightly embarrased by his lack of manners.

"I'd be hungry after today." Ryaen said to no one in paticular while Riku left the table and collapsed on the couch.

* * *

"I guess I figured out what to do with you..." Ryaen whispered to herself as she left Riku's apartment that night. He was such an unsual person. But she had the feeling he wasn't so bad if you got to know him.

There was a package on her doorstep.

-You're too close my little star...much to close...- Ryaen dropped the box and heard a soft tinkling sound. A small star hung upon a silver ribbon was in the box and Ryaen froze. It couldn't be.

He was dead.

* * *

_-Riku's Dream-_

_"Ryaen, why are you crying?"_ _Ryaen's silver eyes were full of tears and Riku sat next to her as she cried. _

_"He's back Riku...He's come back for me..." Riku frowned._

_"Who's come back?" He wanted to help her but didn't know how. Tentativly, he put and arm around her shoulders only to have her fling herself out of his hold._

_"I don't need to be protected Riku! I'm not some lost little girl looking for someone to rescue her!" Her eyes were red and angry as she turned away from_

_"I don't think you are. I only want to help!"She didn't look back at him and he barely caught her whisper as she disappear from his sight._

_"They're back..."_

_An image of a raven haired man Riku had never seen flashed before him and then pair of familiar sapphire eyes. A worried voice dance around him._

_"Help us Riku..."_

Riku awoke with a jolt of pure fear. _Sora_, his mind screamed. Ryaen's tear-filled eyes burned through his mind and then the image of the raven haired man...it was a dream. It couldn't possibly mean anything.

* * *

_-Ryaen's dream-_

_"Ryaen..." Ryaen looked around for the person speaking, but no one was there._

_"Who's there?" Fear coiled itself around her, crushing her._

_"Ryaen please help me..." The voice was desperate and yet somehow...deceiving._

_"Who are you?"The blue eyed man standing before her was sad and pain permiated the sapphire depths of his eyes. As Ryaen looked at him, there in those sad eyes lay Riku. They had the same soft, determined eyes._

_"Sora..." Fear was turning into panic._

_"You have to help him Ryaen! You've got to stop them!"_

_"Who? Stop who?" Sora's face suddenly went deadly pale and the familiar presence of her raven haired 'lion' was next to her once more, his whisper chilling her entire body._

_"Heartless..."_

NO!" Ryaen screamed.As her room came into focus, she looked around desperatelytrying to bring the raven man's image back. Tears started forming behind her eyes but she rubbed them harshly out of exsistence.

"Don't you dare cry. He never cried and neither will you." Ryaen flung off the covers and looked at the clock. 6:20 am. She figured a run would clear her mind. So pulling on a pair of jogging pants and a sweatshirt over her tank top, Ryaen grabbed her shoes and headed for the door.

* * *

_What could the dream have meant...stop it Riku! It was a dream! Nothing more..._

Try as he may, Riku could not erase the dream from his mind --- Ryaen's crying eyes and angry voice continued to haunt him. So he decided to go jogging. He pulled his shoes on and headed for the park.

"Riku?" A familiar voice called to him and he turned around seeing the object of his hallucinations.

"Oh, hey Ryaen...do you always get up this early?" Ryaen nodded, hoping it wasn't obvious she was lying.

"Mostly. But tonight I couldn't sleep so I wanted to go for a run." Riku nodded. Couldn't sleep was an understatement.

"Why don't we go together then." Ryane gave him a smile but he could tell it didn't go to her eyes. They ran along in silence, Ryaen's eyes focused on the ground, not really seeing where she was going. Riku was staring straight ahead and soon the coffee shop came into view.

"Wanna get something to drink?" He asked. Ryane looked up startled and tripped. Riku rushed forward to catch her but in the process tripped over his own feet and both landed on the cold ground. Ryaen burst out laughing and Riku couldn't help but join her.

"Ok...lets...get something..." She told him between laughing fits. Riku helped her up and they jogged into the coffe shop laughing. The waitress looked at them and smiled.

"Long time Riku...who's this?" She was a short brunette with a yellow scarf over her waitressing outfit and blue-grey eyes.

"Yuffie, Ryaen." Ryaen smiled and Yuffie gawked at her eyes.

"Wow! Amazing...so you two dating? It's about time you got a girl, Riku." Riku scowled at her and Yuffie dodged the fingers that went to pinch her side. Ryaen laughed. It was nice to see that Riku had a playful side. Kinda.

"I'm not his girlfiend. I'm renting Sora's appartment." Yuffie smiled.

"Thats great. Hope that rank smell from Riku's place doesn't chase you out, we could get along great!" Ryaen smiled.

"Actually...my apartment smells like new. Ryaen and Kairi cleaned it." Yuffie looked at her in awe.

"Ry, I bow before your bravery." Riku sat and gave Yuffie a half-hearted glare.

"Ya, ya, I know. _**Coffe. Black. Now**_. How bout you,. sweets?" Ryaen thought and decided she wanted hot choclate. As Yuffie went to get their coffee, the table was silent. Both thinking about their dreams that night and both dreading those to come. The coffee came and Ryaen sipped her hot chocolate slowly. It was all so strange. How could she know it was Riku's brother when she'd never seen him before? There was only one way to find out.

"Hey Riku?" Riku looked up with cerulean eyes and raised a brow.

"Can I see a picture of your brother?" Riku was a bit surprised but he pulled his wallet out and showed her. The sound of her cup smashing against the tile floor broke her trance.

"Oh my god..." Ryaen got up, placed a five on the table and nearly ran out. Riku followed her.

"Ryaen...what's wrong...don't...please don't cry." Ryane sighed and wiped the tears viciously away.

"I saw him...in my dream last night...he was so sad and he kept begging me to help them, to save them from Heartless...and..."Ryaen couldn't finish and Riku was silent in shock.

"You...you had the dream too?" Ryaen looked up.

"What do you mean, 'You had the dream too?' "

* * *

A.n: OMG AN UPDATE! GIMME A COOKIE AND THERE WILL BE A CHAPPIE THREE! LOL...so who is this mysterious raven haired man and why is Sora turning up in their dreams? Oh! BTW...Heartless is a new threat in this fic...not an alraedy existing one but there be several interesting twists so...review and you will find out! i lvoe you all!

i Ultimate !


	3. When Everything was Wonderful

**_Chapter Three-_**-**_When Everything was Wonderful_**

"I had...I had the same dream...Almost...the Heartless weren't in it but you kept telling me they were back, and that he was coming for you... who is coming for you Ryaen?" Ryaen looked at her hands. She didn't want to let him go. Didn't want to tell anyone about what had happened. And byZeus, by Neptune and by all the paegan gods,she wouldn't.

"No one. No one is coming for me. All I know is that Heartless is coming." Riku could see through her lie but didn't press her. It wasn't his business.

"But...why would Sora and someone we don't know warn us about an enemy we know nothing about?" Riku asked and Ryaen thought a moment.

"What the best defence you have against an enemy?" Riku frowned.

"Advanced preperation and good training." Ryaen's eyes lit triumphantly.

"Exactly. Their giving us time to train and prepare for the arrival...of ...Heartless. That is...if this whole thing isn't exactly what it was...a dream." Riku cosidered her words. She had a point. There were only three people left who could help them with this...mission.

"We're going to need help then...if we're going to take this seriously." Ryaen thought back to the image of _him _and his pale blue eyes looking at her so pleadingly for help. That was no fluke.

"We should. So, who are we going to meet?" Ryaen asked. Riku frowned. He didn't really want to bring her along...but she had had the dream too and it was someone she was close too...

"First we shower. I'm not going anywhere like this." After coming back to his senses, Riku had once again returned to his previous state of sterling perfection. Thank god. Ryaen agreed with this and the two jogged back and took quick showers. Riku found he had finished first and waited in her apartment. Unfortunately, Ryaen decided to come out in nothing but her towel and rummaged around in her drawers trying to find underwear. She succed and turned around, triumphantly holding her pair of lacy, crimson undies. However silver eyes met aquamarine and she shrieked, dropping her towel around her ankels. Riku's eyes went wide and he turned around quickly.

"Riku! That's called breaking and entering!I'll kill you., ok? I will kill you!" She grumbled, hastily pulling on denium capri's and a purple tank top. Ryaen walked past him and smacked the back of his head smartly.

"You pervert, sneaking up on a girl like that. I can't believe you!"Ryaen continued her rant well into the bathroom, pulling long raven locks into a ponytail.

"Let's go you hentai." Riku rolled his eyes. Ryaen glared at him with a look that clearly told him ' Don't-roll-your-eyes-at-me-mister-I'll-kick-you-so-hard-in-the-balls-your-kids-will-be-born-dizzy.' Riku averted his gaze properly chastized, though the image of Ryaen's startled eyes and less then modest figure stayed fixed in his mind.

-

"OPEN UP! POLICE!" The brunnette inside grabbed the blade that sat by the door and looked out the makeshift peephole. Throwing open the door, he growled.

"RIKU! How many times have told you not to do that!" Riku smirked at the gunblader and Ryaen followed the to men inside.

"Who's she?" Leon asked. Ryaen gave him a glare colder then his own and, inwardly, he flinched.

"My _name _is Ryaen." Leon nodded and looked to Riku for an explanation of the fiesty brunnette in his room.

"We've gotten...word of a new threat to the Worlds... they're called Heartless...we don't know who or what they are...all we know is that they coming...and since Sora's gone...we knew your help." Leon was the next best keyblade master in the Worlds. Leon nodded.

"Fine...but we're going to have to start from scratch with her and it'll take a while. How long?" Ryaen ignored the conversation and looked for Leon's blade. Once found, she picked it up, twirling it expertly in her experienced hands, silencing the two men.

"Where'd you learn that." Leon's statement was not a question...more like a demand of an answer.

"My brother. He and I were Mystery Isle's best gunbladers...before it was destroyed." Leon nodded and held out his hand for his weapon.

"So I take it you don't need further training. You need allies." Riku nodded.

"I'll see what their up to."

"Thank you Leon." Riku shook the older males hand. Leon left them to call up old friends.

-

A blonde. A red head. A very nearly albino. Ryaen studied them carefully. The blonde had insane spikes that went in all directions and defied gravity itself. The red-head had similar spikes, only facing away from his face. The other, more dangerous looking man had long silver hair and piercing green eyes. She knew those eyes.

"Sephiroth!" He turned to face her and he smiled. Very slightly. She ran and jumped into his arms.

"I missed you Uncle." He smoothed hair down and shushed her, holding her tightly.

"It's alright my little one. Where is your brother?" Ryaen hung her head sadly.

"He...died." Sephiroth caught the look in her eyes and simply nodded.

"Cloud, Leon? May I ask why we were all summoned here?" Riku stepped forward.

"We're facing a new threat this time around Sephiroth. Their called Heartless."

"Heartless..." Cloud repeated and Sephiroth froze. Not again.

A.n: Wow! ANOTHER chapter! I'm so proud of myself! review are what make a story people! PWEASE review I'll love you all!

i Ultimate !


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